There are many scripts, script outlines, and episode and movie concepts that never made it onto the screen on The Next Generation. These lost episodes can provide a fascinating window into what might have been, what characters and concepts ended up being modified and used later, and into the behind-the-scenes writing process.

In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Richard Marquez, Amy Nelson, and Justin Oser discuss the never-produced episodes "Ferengi Gold" by Gene Roddenbery, “See Spot Run" by Michael Halperin and “The Legacy" by Paul Aratow. The Lost Episodes is a continuing series that will cover many unfilmed episodes and movie concepts over the course of the seven seasons and four movies of The Next Generation.

The season seven episode "Masks" is often seen as one of the worst episodes of The Next Generation, but it does have its fans that love its unorthodox storytelling style. Written by Joe Menosky, who is well-known for his frequently unusual Star Trek episodes, "Masks" has a lot of layers and interpretations to explore.

In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Amy Nelson and Justin Oser are joined by guest Christopher D. Littlefield to talk about The Next Generation episode "Masks." The discussion includes talking about Joe Menosky's original concept, Data as a conduit for multiple characters, how we interpret the story being told, whether the episode is actually like a video game, and much more! This is an in-depth conversation and we think you'll enjoy the discussion, whether or not you're a fan of "Masks."

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Listener Feedback (00:01:57) Welcome, Chris! (00:07:17) Chris' Star Trek Story (00:07:41) Initial Thoughts on "Masks" (00:09:37) Joe Menosky and the Original Concept (00:14:37) Very Old Archive (00:20:44) Ship Transformation (00:24:43) Data as a Character Conduit (00:29:27) The Story Being Played Out (00:33:33) Video Games, Picard, Troi, and Art Classes (00:40:34) The Masks That We Wear (00:51:20) Final Thoughts (00:58:41) Closing (01:07:28)

Star Trek never shies away from an issue - usually tackling things such as racism, sexism, the evils of war, and human rights violations, with assault and rape being no exception. The way Counselor Troi's assaults were portrayed on The Next Generation as a psychic rape instead of a physical rape brings the issue to the forefront of conversation of the issue.

In this episode of Earl Grey, host Amy Nelson is joined by Zach Moore of Standard Orbit to discuss the character of Troi and her violations within specific episodes as well as the movie Nemesis. We debate the issues of consent and intent of a perpetrator. We also consider if Troi's empathic ability is a vulnerability or disadvantage which therefore makes her a victim.

Durinda Wood was the costume designer for the second season of The Next Generation, a pivotal season that saw the introduction of Guinan and the Borg (among a number of other changes) and a huge range of costumes for the 22 episodes of the season. Durinda Wood is an award-winning costumer designer who was also nominated for an Emmy for Best Costume Design for the episode "Elementary Dear Data."

In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Justin Oser, Amy Nelson, and Richard Marquez interview Durinda Wood about her role as the costume designer for the second season of The Next Generation. The discussion includes the process of designing costumes for Guinan, the Borg, K'Ehleyr, and the episode "Elementary Dear Data" as well as re-designing Worf's sash, and much more!